Special tricycle was returned to young owner suffering from seizures and Cerebral Palsy

The front wheel was damaged and the seat was torn.

But it didn’t matter to Allison Babiarz. When Crystal Lake police officers wheeled her missing red $2,000 trike back to her family’s home Monday evening, the 13-year-old’s broken heart mended in seconds.

Allison Babiarz, 13, and her mother Kim are happy to have Allison's Versa trike back. The trike was taken Sunday from the family's garage and Crystal Lake police found it Monday. “It’s great that it’s back. It’s kind of a relief. I’m very grateful,” said Allison, who can only ride a special-needs bike due to her cerebral palsy and seizures.

Kim Babiarz noticed that her only child’s Versa trike, designed for children with disabilities, was swiped from the family’s unlocked garage Saturday afternoon. Sgt. Dan Hulata did not know who took the trike but said officers found the sporty contraption in their inventory of recovered property.
Kim Babiarz, 44 -- who quit her job at a credit union recently so she could care for Allison full time -- was so distraught when the bike went missing, she hadn’t slept since the burglary. Allison was sick to her stomach and cried.

“I was like, 'Why did this happen to me?' It really hurts,” Allison said.

Now that the trike is back, Allison is looking forward to pedaling around with her parents. Allison cannot balance a two-wheeler because of her cerebral palsy.

The roughed-up bike looks like “someone took a joyride,” but it can be repaired, said Allison’s father Michael.

To Allison, the low trike with a high seat isn’t just about fun. The three-wheeler gives her the autonomy her peers enjoy.

“Maybe they [the culprits] thought they were just being cool or they thought it’d be a joke,” Allison lamented before the trike was found. “I need it back because that bike was allowing me to have the freedom that I wanted.”